


Nightmares

by Mika9889



Category: DCU
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:15:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23643709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mika9889/pseuds/Mika9889
Summary: Nightmares... They're something that plague Harley, waking her up quite often. In Arkham, she doesn't often go back to sleep once she's awake, but... For once, she isn't alone in the asylum, and Joker, too, is woken up by her bad dreams.(And yes, usually Mad Love is a much darker ship, but... Goddamnit, let me have some fluff. I'm pretty sure I kept them in character, too.)
Relationships: Harley Quinn/Joker
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	Nightmares

Joker’s eyes snapped open in the wee hours of the night, green and fierce and heavy with exhaustion. Why must she whimper so loudly? Especially at this time of night, honestly! Harley’s nightmares were bad enough when they were in their own lairs, but in Arkham, there wasn’t even a chance for him to rest, either. After all, how could he sleep through her thrashing into their shared wall repeatedly, or those loud, infuriating whimpers she always fell into when she finally woke up? How could anybody? The girl was damn loud, all the time! It was probably one of the most infuriating parts of dealing with Harley, honestly, but...

It was also the one thing that spurred him from his slumber. No matter how deeply he was sleeping, her whimpers brought him back to the “real” world... Or, rather, what most people had decided was the real world. He begged to differ, but... Well, it wasn’t the point. Harley was. Her nightmares were, and, most of all, that infuriating sense of responsibility to comfort her was.  
Her nightmares weren’t the only thing that caused that damn feeling, but that was part of what made it so frustrating. Joker couldn’t just ignore it, whenever he knew it was happening. He couldn’t ignore her whenever she was upset for any reason other than the ones he caused. For some reason, he couldn’t, and he hated it.  
It lead to a familiar situation; as soon as he was awake, that sense of responsibility was already present. With a begrudging sigh, he brought his long legs over the side of his cot, standing before turning to the window above it... The window that lead to his little girlfriend’s cell.

Her paper-white face was already peering at him through it, too, of course. It always was, by the time he couldn’t ignore her (and he usually tried to, at least for awhile). She looked paler than normal, somehow, only extenuated by the dark bags under her eyes. She must not have slept in a few days, he thought, before cursing himself for being able to tell... But that was one of many, many things he could read off of her. He sighed again as he reached out a single hand towards her. Her own tiny hand threaded through the bars to take it, and a little look of relief crossed her face. She didn’t say a thing, though. She never did, not when she was still shaking like a leaf from whatever terrible thing her mind had conjured up. And so, he, for a few minutes, didn’t say a word either. He only squeezed her hand lightly, as he waited for the sign she was slightly calmer.  
Soon enough, he picked it up, and so, in a brittle, sleep-marred tone, he spoke; “Another nightmare?”  
She simply nodded, squeezing his hand all the more tightly. “... A bad one.” The words were an almost inaudible whisper.  
His fierce eyes softened a bit at the sound, no matter how much he resented that they did. He couldn’t help it. “About the game again?”  
Another little nod, and another faint whimper. He squeezed her hand again. “Of course,” he sighed begrudgingly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “Shhh, Harls; you’re safe now. Okay?” His voice was soft. Too soft. “You aren’t there anymore, are you?”  
She shook her head gingerly, reaching out the other hand. He took that one, too.  
“Exactly. No need to be so worked up...” Joker muttered, his voice dropping into a gentle lull. “Calm down, Harls. You’re okay. You’re okay. I’m here, aren’t I?”  
Yet again, a little nod. Good. It was starting to work then; her vice grip on his hand even loosened a little.  
“You’re safe. You’re okay. I’m here, okay?” He kept his tone low, holding her blue-eyed gaze as Harley stared up at him like a hurt puppy. She always looked so fragile after those nightmares, from the way she held herself to the way she trembled ever-so-slightly. He despised it. That wasn’t his Harley, and it bothered him; his Harley was daring, never shaken by anything they did or anything anyone else said about her. She was fearless. Willful. Frustratingly good at playing his own games... And yet those nightmares managed to break her, at least for a bit. He hated the fact they could, so, so much. His Harley, though, was slowly coming back, the more he spoke... And so, he kept repeating the same lines. “You’re okay. You aren’t alone. You’re safe, Harls. I’m here.”  
Again, Harley nodded weakly, and, eventually, it worked, just like it always did. She slowly stopped squeezing his hand, little by little, until she let go altogether.  
“Thanks, Puddin’,” her voice was still shaky, but he could tell she was calm enough again. He could always fucking tell. “Love you.”  
“I know. Now, Baby... Go back to sleep,” Joker’s voice was still gentle, but not quite to the same extent. It was firmer. “It’s too late for this, and I’d like to get some sleep, too, you know.”  
“... Will y’actually sleep if I do?” She asked gently.  
“That’s the plan.”  
“Mkay,” Harley gave a weak nod again, before chewing her lip thoughtfully.  
Joker sighed yet again. That meant she was about to ask something, and, with how pitiful she still looked, he knew damn well he couldn’t say no to whatever request she was about to make. Unfortunately. He gave it five seconds before he cocked his head in such a way. He was prompting her. Encouraging her. It was enough to get her to finish.  
“Uhm... Mistah J. Can y’maybe... Talk ta me ‘till I fall asleep? Please?” Harley asked, her voice wavering slightly... As if he would say no. As if he even could, when she was almost shivering again.  
He sighed again, his gaze level with her’s as he just gave one short nod. Her face lit up, and goddammit, it was too damn endearing. She was too damn endearing.  
“Thank yoou~” She beamed at him, albeit weakly. If only he could’ve stopped the smile that inched onto his face in response.

And then she disappeared back into the darkness her cell, and he could hear her settle back into the blankets. The walls really were so thin... No wonder it was so easy to escape. When she stopped shifting, though, Joker sighed again and laid back down in his own cot, limbs too long and gangly for it to be anywhere near comfortable.  
Nonetheless, though... Because she had asked him to, he stayed stuffed in the cot, muttering words all too sweet to be coming from his mouth. And, as much as it frustrated him that she could do this to him... He knew damn well he couldn’t stop, not until he heard her breathing deepen and her shifting stop completely. He couldn’t bring himself to.

He cared too much to.


End file.
